Welcome, and thank you
for tuning into this exciting
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edition of Walking With Jesus.
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Hello, I'm Eric Garloff, your
host for Walking With Jesus.
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I pray this series has
been as much a blessing for you
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as it has been
for us to produce.
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I say that because we're
now on episode number thirteen
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which is the
last in this series.
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Now that may sadden some
of you, but our topic for this
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episode is titled, Be
Happy and Rejoice In Jesus.
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So let's get started and
learn how to be happy in Jesus.
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God has designed our bodies
to collect large amounts of data
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through the senses of
sight, hearing, touch, taste,
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and smell.
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And whether you like it or
not, every time you see someone
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your brain is storing
up data, or information
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about that person.
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Based on this information a
person tends to make certain
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assumptions about people.
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You could call it stereotyping.
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Now this could be a good thing
or it could be a bad thing.
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Let me give you an example.
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Your car breaks down in a
section of town which is known
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for its violent crime.
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Worse yet, it's midnight
and there's very little light
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in the street.
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You notice a group of
people coming down the street
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towards you, and they're
carrying clubs and chains.
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They have not seen you yet in
your car, so you kind of hunch
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down a little bit, and
you try to conceal yourself.
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Your hands are getting
cold, clammy and sweaty,
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and your heart is
pumping like it's going to jump
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out of your chest.
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Now let me ask you a question.
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Are you about to get out of your
car and ask them to help you?
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Of course not, because
your brain is telling you
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this is not a safe
environment to be in.
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Now before they reach
your car you see two policemen,
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in your rear view mirror, coming
down the street behind you.
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The group of people with
the clubs and chains duck into
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an alley and disappear.
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You now jump out of your car
and ask the policemen to help
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you to safety.
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What just happened?
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Your brain gathered information
about the people you saw,
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and you based your actions and
reactions upon that information.
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Some people may call this
common sense, others may call it
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survival instinct, or
good judgment, or even being
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street smart.
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But no matter what you call it,
it's a result of the information
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that your brain gathered while
you were watching those people.
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Knowing that this happens,
and understanding the fact
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that it happens, can be one
of the best tools a Christian
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can use to share
Jesus with others.
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It's like a story that I
once heard where a little girl
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was told by her mother
that Jesus lives within us.
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Then one day while she was in
church listening to the pastor
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the pastor said something that
got the little girl thinking.
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On their way home after the
church service the girl's mother
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said to her, Dear, I
noticed that you have something
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on your mind.
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Would you like to
share it with mother?
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The little girl said, Mommy,
you always tell me that Jesus
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is inside of me.
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Her mother
replied, That's right dear.
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Jesus is inside of you.
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Then the little girl said, Well,
today the pastor said that Jesus
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is bigger than all of us.
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The mother replied again,
Yes, that's right sweetie.
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Jesus is bigger than all of us.
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Then the little girl said, Well,
mother, if Jesus is inside of
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us, and if Jesus is bigger than
us, wouldn't He show through?
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Now that's what we're
talking about here today.
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Let me ask you, Is Jesus
showing through in your life?
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When people watch you do they
see Jesus showing through you?
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What is your daily mind-set?
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How do you act?
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How do you dress?
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Can someone observing you, in
your daily life, see that there
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is something
different about you?
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Can they see, in your character,
in your selection of words,
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in your actions, and
reactions, the love of Jesus?
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Can they tell that just as
the disciples of old walked with
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Jesus, that you, too,
are walking with Jesus?
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If the answers to
these questions is yes,
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then praise the Lord!
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But if the answer is, No, then
perhaps you should be spending
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more time in prayer with
God, and ask Him to give you
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the fruit of the Holy Spirit,
that there may be something
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within you that others
desire and are drawn to Jesus.
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From the book, Steps
to Christ, page 81 and 82,
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we find this passage:
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So you see, my friend, it is
very important how we live our
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lives in the sight of others.
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They will read us like a
book whenever they see us,
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and our book should be telling
them that Jesus is within us,
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that we have been walking
with Jesus, and that He is our
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guide in life.
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Dr. Floyd Foust, back in
March of '89 said, Early in my
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ministry I met a
man named Worrell.
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He had been stricken
with Rheumatoid Arthritis
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at the age of 15, and
when I met him 30 years later,
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at the age of 45,
Worrell was totally paralyzed,
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except for one finger, and at
that time he could barely speak,
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and was totally blind.
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But he had a string tied
to that one mobile finger;
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a string that could turn
on and off a tape recorder.
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Although he struggled to speak,
he spoke into the recorder,
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and in doing so he
wrote for national magazines.
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He authored books and led
a happy and influential life
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from his bed.
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This was possible because
after initial prayers brought
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no healing, he
accepted his lot in life,
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and graciously said, Well, Lord,
If this is the size plot in life
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you've staked out for me,
let's You and me together,
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show the world
what we can grow on it.
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Down the path of humble
acceptance, Worrell achieved
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a happier and more useful
life within the limitations
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of very restricted circumstances
than most people will ever
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manage with
excellent physical health.
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II Corinthians 12:9 says:
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How is it with you, my friend?
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How do you handle yourself
in the midst of your trials,
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your sickness, or even tragedy?
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If we're walking with Jesus,
you can be sure that He has the
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strength and power to give
us the attitude of Worrell.
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Once again, his attitude was
such that he said, Well, Lord,
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if this is the size of plot in
life You've staked out for me,
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let's You and me, together,
show the world what we can
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grow on it.
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If each of our lives
displayed this kind of attitude,
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then I believe Christianity
would become contagious,
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and people would be coming
into the church in much larger
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numbers than what we
see them coming in today.
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The Apostle Paul said
in Philippians 1:12-14:
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Yes, whether you know it or
not, whether you like it or not,
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people are watching you to
see how you handle your trials.
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And the way you respond to
your trials on a daily basis
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can be one of the most powerful
witnessing tools you have
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to draw the hearts and
minds of those around you into a
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loving relationship with Jesus.
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There are many Bible
verses which bring us comfort
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and understanding, and
I'd like to share two of those
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with you just now.
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The first is found in the
book of Romans 8:28, which says:
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The second text is found
in Jeremiah 29:11, which says:
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You see, God really does
have a plan for your life.
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His plan is to fill you with
His Holy Spirit, and use you
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as a joy filled
Christian, to reflect His image
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and character to those around
you; to those who are secretly
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watching you.
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God does have a plan, and
it's a plan to prosper you.
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It's a plan of hope.
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It's a plan that will give
you a future, and lead you into
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His kingdom, Amen?
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There is so much more
that I'd like to share with you
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from the book Steps to Christ,
and since this is our last
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program, I'd like to
try to pack in as much of it
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as I possibly can.
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So here is a passage from page
85 and 86 of Steps to Christ:
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There are many who have
an erroneous idea of the life
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and character of Christ.
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They think that He was
devoid of warmth and sunnyness.
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That He was stern,
severe, and joyless.
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In many cases the whole
religious experience is colored
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by the gloomy views.
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but never gloomy or morose.
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It does not
quench the light of joy.
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It does not restrain
cheerfulness nor cloud
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the sunny, smiling face.
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Christ came not to be
ministered unto but to minister.
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And when His love reigns
in the heart, we shall follow
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His example.
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Jesus said in John 15:11, These
things have I spoken unto you
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that my joy might remain in you,
and that your joy might be full.
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Isn't it wonderful to serve a
loving God who wants our lives
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to be filled with
love, joy, and peace?
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In closing, I'd like to quote
you the closing paragraph found
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in Steps to Christ.
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It's on page 90.
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In view of the glorious
inheritance that may be his,
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what shall a man give
in exchange for his soul?
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He may be poor yet he posses
in himself a wealth and dignity
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that the world
could never bestow.
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The soul redeemed and cleansed
from sin, with all its noble
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powers dedicated to the service
of God is of surpassing worth,
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and there is joy in
heaven in the presence of God,
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and the Holy Angels, over
one soul redeemed; a joy that
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is expressed in
songs of Holy triumph.
00:13:33.71\00:13:37.21
Friend, I pray that you
have enjoyed this series,
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and I pray that in all
you do you'll find yourself
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walking with Jesus
in joy and happiness.
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May God bless you
and your loved ones.
00:13:47.56\00:13:51.11
This was the closing
episode in our series.
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We pray it's been
a blessing to you.
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May God be with you and your
loved ones, and may you always
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be found walking with
Jesus, and growing in His love
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and grace.
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